The last of 2008's touchscreen heavyweights is here, and on paper at least, the Storm—complete with messaging and multimedia features aplenty, not to mention a groundbreaking touchscreen—looks set to give the iPhone 3G and T-Mobile's Android-powered G1 a run for their money. Unfortunately, the Storm's poky performance and failure to truly embrace touch keep it from landing a knockout punch.
Measuring 4.4 by 2.4 by 0.55 inches and weighing in at 5.5 ounces, the Storm lands somewhere between the svelte iPhone and the bulky G1 in terms of size and overall heft, and it fits relatively comfortably in a jeans pocket. Below the roomy display you'll find the standard Call, End, Back, and Menu controls, while on the top corners are buttons for silencing ringers and locking the screen.

Speaking of which, the big draw of the Storm ($199 with a new two-year contract, available Friday, Nov. 21) is, of course, its 3.25-inch touch display, and it’s a beauty. With its resolution of 480 by 360, the Storm's touchscreen actually manages to pack in more pixels than the iPhone's larger, 3.5-inch screen, and the result is a rich, razor-sharp image, perfect for composing e-mails, Web browsing, or watching videos.

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